Monterey Shale

With so much positive news out there about ever-rising production from unconventional oil and natural gas plays, word that the Energy Information Administration has reduced its estimate of recoverable oil from California’s Monterey Shale region by 95% is sobering, to say the least. EIA’s Monterey shocker serves as a reminder that the U.S. energy renaissance is in its infancy, that each shale play has different characteristics and challenges, and that there is still a lot to learn. In this blog, we look at what had been seen as California’s next big thing, and at whether new technology and techniques might revive Monterey’s promise.